| Keywords |
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| ID |
5540 |
| Text |
Excerpta et fragmenta (441 - 474) Priscus |
| Quotation |
Συνέβαινε γὰρ αὐτὸν σὺν τῷ πρεσβυτέρῳ τῷν Ἀττήλα παίδων ἐς τὸ τῶν Ἀκατζίρων ἔϑνος ἐστάλϑαι, ὅ ἐστι Σκυϑικὸν ἔϑνος, παρέστη δὲ τῷ Ἀττήλᾳ ἐξ αἰτίας τοιᾶσδε. πολλῶν κατὰ φῦλα καὶ γένη ἀρχόντων τοῦ ἔϑνους, Θεοδόσιος ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐκπέμπει δῶρα, ὥστε ὁμονοίᾳ σφετέρᾳ ἀπαγορεῦσαι μὲν τῇ τοῦ Ἀττήλα συμμαχίᾳ, τὴν δὲ πρὸς Ῥωμαίους εἰρήνην ἀσπάζεσϑαι. ὁ δὲ τὰ δῶρα ἀποκομίζων οὐ κατὰ τάξω ἑκάστῳ τῶν βασιλέων τοῦ ἔϑνους δίδωσιν, ὥστε τὸν Κουρίδαχον πρεσβύτερον ὄυτα τῇ ἀρχῇ τὰ δῶρα δεξάμενον δεύτερον, οἷα δὴ περιοφϑέντα καὶ τῶν σφετέρων στερηϑέντα γερῶν, ἐπικαλέσασϑαι τὸν Ἀττήλαν κατὰ τῶν συμβασιλευόντων, τὸν δὲ μὴ μελλήσαντα πολλὴν ἐκπέμψαι δύναμιν, καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἀνελόντα, τοὺς δὲ παραστησάμενον καλεῖν τὸν Κουρίδαχον τῶν νικητηρίων μεϑέξοντα. τὸν δὲ ἐπιβουλὴν ὑποτοπήσαντα εἰπεῖν ὡς χαλεπὸν ἀνϑρώπῳ ἐλϑεῖν ἐς ὄψιν ϑεοῦ· εἰ γὰρ οὺδὲ τὸν τοῦ ἠλίου δίδκον ἀτενῶς ἔστιν ἰδεῖν, πῶς τὸν μέγιστον τῶν ϑεῶν ἀπαϑὼς τις ὄψοιτο; οὔτω μὲν οὖν ὁ Κουρίδαχος ἔμεινεν ἐπὶ τοῖς σφετέροις καὶ διεφύλαξε τὴν ἀρχήν, τοῦ λοιποῦ παντὸς τοῦ Ἀκατζίρων ἔϑνους τῷ Ἀττήλᾳ παραστάντος· οὗπερ ἔϑνους βασιλέα τὸν πρεσβύτερον τῶν παίδων καταστήσαι βουλόμενος Ὀνηγήσιον ἐπὶ ταύτην ἐκπέμπει τὴν πρᾶξιν. |
| Translation |
It happened that Onegesius had been sent together with Attila’s eldest son to the Akatziri, a Scythian people that had submitted to Attila for the following reason. This people had many rulers according to their tribes and clans, and the Emperor Theodosius sent gifts to them to the end that they might unanimously renounce their alliance with Attila and seek peace with the Romans. The envoy who conveyed the gifts did not deliver them to each of the kings by rank, with the result that Kouridachus, the senior in office, received his gifts second and, being thus overlooked and deprived of his proper honours, called in Attila against his fellow kings. Attila without delay sent a large force, destroyed some and forced the rest to submit. He then summoned Kouridachus to share in the prizes of victory. But he, suspecting a plot, declared that it was hard for a man to come into the sight of a god: “For if it is not possible to look directly at the sun’s disc, how could one look at the greatest of the gods without harm?” In this way Kouridachus remained amongst his own folk and saved his realm, while all the rest of the Akatzirian people submitted to Attila. He, wishing to make his eldest son king of this people, sent Onegesius for that purpose. |
| Summary |
A failed diplomatic Roman mission to the Akatziri under Theodosius II strengthens the Huns under Attila. Neglecting the proper protocol for the delivery of the gifts, the unnamed Roman envoy causes Kouridachus, the most senior in rank, to call Attila against the other kings, leading in the submission of most of the Akatziri with the exception of Kouridachus. Attila’s son and the envoy Onegesius are then sent to the Akatziri with the prospect of making him their king. |
| Quotation source |
Fr. 11.2, 241-259 (pp. 258-259) |
| Temporal Coverage |
448 - 449 |
| Associated use case(s) |
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| Comment |
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